


Over the Sky

by jacksparrow589



Series: The js589 Shirbert Soundtrack [7]
Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Fluff, I have no shame or regret, Reunions, Shirbert, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, basically 3k words of shameless mostly plotless fluff, some shameless flirting and kissing in there too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24955516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacksparrow589/pseuds/jacksparrow589
Summary: "Cheer up, Anne!" Diana squeezed her best friend's arm. Cole and I will dance with you!"Anne sighed. "Sorry; I know that this party is precisely to lighten the gloom, but I fear my melancholy is not entirely due to the sun's absence."Diana smiled gently. At least Anne still had her sense of melodrama. "But Gilbert did send you such a wonderful letter describing how he would want to dance with you, right?"He had. Anne blushed. She hadn't shared the exact contents with Diana. There was nothing scandalous per se, but even Anne's bosom friend didn't necessarily need to know that Gilbert had told Anne just where his hand would fall on her waist while his other would gently hold hers, or that he'd written of finding some secluded corner for engaging in some perhaps not entirely publicly appropriate kissing, even by Aunt Jo's somewhat liberal standards.---------Anne and Diana arrive at Aunt Jo's summer soiree during their second year at Queen's, and Anne gets a wonderful surprise.
Relationships: Diana Barry & Cole Mackenzie & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: The js589 Shirbert Soundtrack [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728880
Comments: 17
Kudos: 128





	Over the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> Song: "Over the Sky" by Dreamcatcher. I feel like maybe the energy of the song itself doesn't quite match, but the message does, and goshdangit, it's adorable!
> 
> This story had been sitting half-done in my story ideas folder for a while, and for whatever reason, it demanded finishing this weekend. I hope you enjoy!

"Cheer up, Anne!" Diana squeezed her best friend's arm. Cole and I will dance with you!"

Anne sighed. "Sorry; I know that this party is precisely to lighten the gloom, but I fear my melancholy is not entirely due to the sun's absence."

Diana smiled gently. At least Anne still had her sense of melodrama. "But Gilbert did send you such a wonderful letter describing how he would want to dance with you, right?"

He had. Anne blushed. She hadn't shared the exact contents with Diana. There was nothing scandalous _per se_ , but even Anne's bosom friend didn't necessarily need to know that Gilbert had told Anne just where his hand would fall on her waist while his other would gently hold hers, or that he'd written of finding some secluded corner for engaging in some perhaps not _entirely_ publicly appropriate kissing, even by Aunt Jo's somewhat liberal standards. And she certainly couldn't yet reveal that he had admitted to longing to gaze into her eyes and imagine forever with her, as he did every time they were together. The sentiment had made her weep with joy, even if the thought was a little daunting.

When they'd met for tea last week, Diana and Cole had ribbed her mercilessly about how the Bride of Adventure would someday be the Bride of Blythe. Anne had laughed and told them off, but the idea's appeal was certainly growing on her. They hadn't yet talked about getting married except as a "someday" concept, but when they had, it was with the implied promise that they would get there, and it would be wonderfully worth it all.

* * *

Rollings had scarcely opened the door before Aunt Jo was ushering them inside, looking particularly invigorated.

"Come in, my dears! You look lovely!" She allowed both girls to kiss her on the cheek before standing back and beaming at them. "The very picture of two young ladies in need of and ready for a party to lift their spirits. Cole is waiting for you in the parlor."

Anne and Diana proceeded forward, Anne's mood already bolstered just a bit by the abundant floral decorations. She didn't notice Diana's grin growing as they approached the parlor until they were just inside, but that observation fled her mind just as quickly as it had arrived.

Cole was there, as promised, but so was Gilbert.

Anne let out an entirely undignified but still somehow completely appropriate squeak as she brought her hands to her mouth. Diana and Cole let out delighted laughter, and the same was dancing in Gilbert's eyes as he stood. Anne took a few slow steps, then hiked her skirts just enough to dash over to him, throwing her arms around him.

"You're here!" she laughed breathlessly. "You're here! Oh, somebody pinch me! I must be dreaming!"

Gilbert's arms wound around her and she could feel him laugh. "I don't think any of us would do something so indelicate. I'm afraid you're just going to have to get used to the reality that I will turn up from time to time." He brought a hand up to brush a few loose ringlets away, before tilting Anne's chin up so he could kiss her. Anne rose up on her toes, eagerly pulling Gilbert as close as she could.

A cough startled them apart.

Aunt Jo chided, "Oh, Rollings, let them have a moment! Our Anne has been much in need, and her young man has traveled unenviable distances to brighten her day. His, as well, if this embrace is any indication."

Diana and Cole tried to stifle their laughter.

Aunt Jo tapped her cane on the floor. "Come now. Let us away to the ballroom." She addressed the young couple. "Even with all the revelry, I expect decorous behavior. It would hardly do for the two of you to await our departure and instead linger here unchaperoned for a private moment or two." This last statement was punctuated with a wink so discreet that Anne wasn't sure she wasn't imagining it. Aunt Jo shrugged and, with all her usual regal bearing, held out her arm for Cole to take, Diana and Rollings following them.

Sometime during Aunt Jo's speech, Gilbert's hands had slid down to clasp Anne's, his fingers lacing through hers.

"I should let you know that I meant everything I said in that letter," Gilbert told her. He leaned in to whisper, "Especially about secluded corners."

"Distance has made you bold," Anne told him softly.

"Hardly," Gilbert protested. "Did I or did I not quite boldly kiss you in broad daylight on the lawn of your boardinghouse before I left for Toronto?"

Anne pretended to think. "I would think that more desperate than bold, but it has been a year and a half; perhaps I need a reminder."

"I think I can oblige." Gilbert raised a hand to Anne's cheek and, as quickly as he had the day he'd first done so, leaned in and kissed Anne. For her part, Anne was quicker to respond than she'd been that day. She clasped her hands behind Gilbert's neck and pulled him as close as she could. She pulled away after a moment, both amused and marveling at the fact that Gilbert followed to keep his lips on hers until the last possible moment. "We ought to go before we're missed," she reminded him in a whisper.

Gilbert gave her one last kiss, then held out his arm. Anne took it, and together, they walked into the ballroom.

* * *

Anne had read off a passage from Jane Eyre, as was custom for her by now. The applause that followed had been joyful, and Anne had blushed, but had taken the compliments with the grace of a young woman who truly deserved them.

Josephine had given her a loving embrace and whispered in Anne's ear that she had done Jo—and Gertrude's memory—as proud as ever.

Gilbert had taken Anne's hand and kissed it before pulling her in for the waltz that was beginning. Cole caught her eye and winked as he danced with Diana.

After that, though, the rest of the party became muted as she and Gilbert gazed into each other's eyes. It was nearly the end of the dance when Anne realized she wasn't blushing. The only color on her cheeks was from the exertion of dancing. Dancing like this— _feeling_ like this—was suddenly the most natural, correct thing.

She found she could only blink as the realization washed over her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Gilbert prompted in a low voice.

Anne thought. "It's just... It feels like this is what my life has been leading me toward. Dancing with you, talking with you... just being with you. It feels so incredibly right. And that's exciting in a way it hasn't been until now. Before, it was the newness of it. Now, it feels like—" she searched for the correct phrase "—it feels like there's a promise. A promise, but not an obligation. Just a happy inevitability."

Gilbert swept her off the dance floor only mostly gracefully, leaning down just enough to murmur "If there is more to that thought, you'll need to hold it, because I am about to embrace you in an entirely improper way, and I would not want to disrespect Miss Barry's rules by doing so quite this publicly."

Anne grabbed his arm and pulled him into a small alcove.

Carefully, she removed her flower crown and set it aside. "I believe I was promised an improper—" She didn't finish her sentence before she was pulled into a crushing hug against Gilbert's chest.

"Every time I think I couldn't love you more..." he murmured into her hair. "You prove me wrong in the most amazing ways."

Anne pulled back to look at him, not smiling, but undeniably full-hearted. She lifted her hand to Gilbert's cheek and stretched up to kiss him. After a first gentle overture, she pressed just a little closer and kissed him just a little longer. Gilbert was quite happy to follow Anne's lead, wrapping one arm tightly around her waist and ghosting the backs of the fingers of his other hand up and down Anne's cheek for a moment.

They pulled back for just a moment, their foreheads still touching. Anne chewed on her bottom lip, not fighting the smile that curled the corners of her mouth blissfully upward.

Gilbert looked incredibly content, but there was a familiar intensity in his eyes. When Anne's free hand only semi-voluntarily grasped at his jacket, he pulled Anne back in for a breathless, much more passionate kiss. Even though it was Anne who gasped, it was also she who tilted her head just a little more to deepen it.

It was several long moments before they slowed down. Gilbert's hand slid from Anne's cheek to where her hand still held loosely onto his suit jacket, and he laced their fingers together.

Anne lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of Gilbert's. "I never did thank you for making the journey."

Gilbert shook his head. "You don't need to. My reasons were entirely selfish. It's difficult not being near you, as descriptive as your letters are. I love hearing about your life, but honestly, I'd much rather be living it with you."

Anne's heart nearly beat out of her ribcage. "Gil, you are going to make me cry. Or possibly faint."

"Ah, well, perhaps it's time to go get some refreshments. Wouldn't want you weakened and face down in a ditch," Gilbert teased.

Anne rolled her eyes as she tucked her hand into Gilbert's arm. "Never letting that one go, are you?"

"When you stop teasing me about misspelling words," Gilbert replied.

Anne scoffed. "That's hardly comparable; you did misspell words! I, on the other hand, have never been face-down in a ditch."

"...And weakened?" Gilbert prompted.

"That seems to be an unfortunate side effect of you kissing me," Anne said breezily.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "'Unfortunate'?"

Anne's cheeks pinked just a touch as she admitted, "I _suppose_ I'm learning to enjoy it." She fixed her crown of flowers back on her head. "How do I look?"

"We're going to be back here for quite a while if I answer that question as I'd like to just now," Gilbert informed her, "so it's probably best that we go and get refreshments before that happens."

Anne couldn't hide a silly grin. "Very well, but you are going to tell me at some point tonight, yes?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Perhaps. Or perhaps I'll write it out for you. I'm given to understand you treasure the written word?"

Anne nodded primly. "I do indeed. But that leaves me with the quandary of what to say to you tonight if you intend to reserve your own words."

"About only one thing, mind you. There are a great many other praises I can heap upon you. Or, if you'd rather, I can just gaze adoringly at you while we dance. Cole was giving me a bit of grief earlier; said I was absolutely smitten. I think the word's not strong enough." He grabbed two cups of punch and handed one to Anne. "I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you enough how and why I love you, but I promise you, I am not going to stop trying."

"Crying, it is." Anne dashed away tears with the back of her hand. "Why neither of us could have just _said_ something before being separated... Sorry, I didn't mean for that to be a remark on you as such," she corrected herself. "And I suppose we did try." She sipped from the cup, looking thoughtful.

"We've learned and we've grown. That's what matters." Gilbert held out his glass for Anne to tap hers against. "To learning."

With a shy smile, Anne echoed, "To learning."

"If that isn't the most Anne toast ever," Cole drawled as he sidled up with Diana.

"You'll note it was mine first," Gilbert pointed out.

"If not for the way you look at Anne, I'd assume you two spend all your time together reading." Cole smirked. "And I'm still not sure that's not how you spend most of it."

Anne's propensity to blush came roaring back in full force. "Cole Mackenzie, I will thank you to not speculate on such matters in my range of hearing ever again." She sighed, resigned. "Though you are correct that a good deal of time is spent reading simply because so much of it needs to be done."

The other three laughed, and Anne launched them into a conversation about their various courses of study, though she hardly noticed when it devolved into her plans to move to Toronto at the end of summer to attend the university there for her B.A. Having heard of the plan's existence already, neither Cole nor Diana were surprised, and they didn't bring up the suggestion of impropriety. Instead, they listened to Gilbert promising her she'd sail through and have an easier time than the one he was having, with Anne insisting he was being modest and that the only reason he was having a difficult time was the condensed time frame he'd set to complete his studies. "I'm sure it'll be worth it," she assured him.

Gilbert said nothing, but he didn't have to: the look he was giving Anne said more than words ever could. Neither of them heard Diana's quiet sigh, nor did they see Cole's eyes widen just a bit before softening with his smile.

They did only just vaguely notice their friends' departure to mingle with the remaining guests, and Anne shifted to sit closer to Gilbert, her side flush with his and their twined fingers hidden by Anne's skirt. (It wasn't necessary here, they knew, but it was habit.)

Before Gilbert could inquire as to what was on her mind, Anne spoke, her voice was quiet and starting to choke with emotion. "Until far too recently, I suspected that I would have to constantly be justifying my goals and desires to any suitors, and that at the end of it, I would have to compromise. I want more than anything to do what I've set out to do. And I know I've nothing less than your full support, but I just wish you were here, or I was there… I know that time will come soon, but it's not soon enough. I just want to be by your side and make our dreams come true together."

"I'd offer to start an argument if it would ease the pain," Gilbert joked, smiling just a little sadly as Anne let out a short laugh that lacked some of the usual joy. "But as that seems like a poor idea, I will instead tell you that every time I think about the time apart we have left, I'll remind myself that there are many more days ahead of us where I'll get to hold you like I have this evening." He took a slightly shuddering breath. "Every time one of us has triumph or a set back, every time there's a puzzle to solve, every… every _day_ , no matter what, I want this to be a constant."

Tears were now falling freely down Anne's cheeks. She murmured, "I'll make my apologies tomorrow," then stood abruptly and tugged at Gilbert's hand, leading him away from the party, up the stairs, and through the halls to Aunt Jo's library, which was dark. The night, however, was unusually clear, and the moon lit the room just enough for the pair to see each other. Anne stood facing Gilbert, then wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. "Oh, Gilbert," she whispered, "Today has been like a fairy tale, and I just got so caught up in it…" She heaved another shuddering sigh and pulled back to look up at him.

Gilbert leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. "I'm glad it's felt like a fairy tale. If there's anyone who deserves some of that magic in their life, it's you."

"I'd always figured that you, as a man of science, wouldn't be keen on the idea of magic." Anne was half-teasing, but half-curious.

"I'm going into research, remember? That necessarily presupposes that there are things we don't understand. In my view, 'magic' is just another word for what is incredible, and sometimes not yet understood." Gilbert lifted his hand to Anne's cheek. "The nice thing about love is that it really just needs simple acknowledgment, and the understanding can grow with it." He drew her in to kiss her again, but Anne bowed her head.

"How am I supposed to send you back to Toronto when you say such wonderful things?" she quavered.

"Well, you wanting me to go doesn't seem like it would be a good sign," Gilbert pointed out before nudging Anne's forehead with his so she looked back up at him. "I won't be vanishing without a trace, though; I do have a rather early birthday present for you."

Anne tilted her head curiously. "You being here isn't?"

Gilbert smiled. "No, that would be Diana and Cole's. Not to say I wasn't enthusiastic about it, of course." He reached into his pocket and produced a small pouch before looking around. "There's better light in the hall."

Anne followed him to the door, looking speculatively at the pouch as Gilbert placed it in her hand before pulling it open and carefully letting the contents—two enamel charms on a thin necklace chain—fall into her hand. A small dark blue rectangle had white lines extending between opposite corners to form an X, and another little piece was a small puffy purple flower with a spiky green bulb beneath it. Anne grinned. "The Scottish flag, I recognize." She examined the flower for a moment further. "A thistle?"

Gilbert nodded. "The national flower of Scotland." He took the necklace from Anne and fastened it as she held her hair out of the way.

"You lived on a farm. You know thistles are horrendous to deal with." But Anne couldn't school her tone or her smile into any semblance of sternness.

"They're tenacious and hardy. I can respect that." Gilbert, now facing Anne again, lifted one of the free locks of Anne's hair. "And they're quite pretty."

As she started to lean in, Anne told him, "Some would disagree with you."

"Yes, well, I'm not exactly inclined to listen to anyone who does." Gilbert closed the distance between them, sliding his hand up into Anne's hair as hers came up to clasp behind his neck.

Anne had just pushed up onto her toes when Cole cleared his throat at the other end of the corridor. She pulled back nearly immediately, but not terribly far. "Cole," she growled at the same time Gilbert did. She had to suppress a laugh.

"Don't shoot the messenger; Diana and I were tasked with making sure that Anne was alright after she left in tears and you followed looking concerned." Cole smirked. "It seems that your spirits have been restored, and that's all I'm going to tell Aunt Jo, but you might want to at least pretend that you're going to retire to bed so that some less understanding soul doesn't happen upon the same scene."

"Cole!" Diana whacked Cole's arm and sighed before addressing Anne and Gilbert. "Apologies for his boorishness. That said… he is right." She tugged Cole's arm, and the pair of them fled, laughing all the way down the corridor.

Anne rolled her eyes. "I'll walk you back to your room." She linked her arm with Gilbert's and let him lead her to the room Aunt Jo had assigned him. When he turned to face her rather than going in, Anne hesitated for a long moment, worrying her lip with her teeth before quietly suggesting, "Perhaps I could stay for a few minutes?"

Gilbert beckoned her in, leaving the door just ajar behind them. When he turned to face Anne, she merely raised her eyebrows and, as she stepped forward into Gilbert's arms, she pushed the door behind him all the way closed and let out as satisfied sigh as her lips met his once more.

**Author's Note:**

> No, nothing untoward happened in that room after we leave these two. They just made out for a bit, and maybe slept in the same bed. (That said, sleeping in a corset sounds like precisely zero fun, so probably not.) As to how Gilbert was able to manage coming to this soiree without missing out on schoolwork... *shrug* Your guess is as good as mine, folks. Pay no attention to this detail and just enjoy the fluff for what it is, okay? :P
> 
> Thanks for joining me on this 3k word fluffy ramble! I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you had fun reading it!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated here, and you can find me on tumblr at js589.


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